Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-03-10

ing to the compen sation of members OF the
government, came up by special assignment,
pending third reading; and was read the
third time. -,
Mr.. Shaw of Portland opposed the bill; he
thought the salary of the members OF the
legislature quite large enough. He Thought
their salary ought to conform to the ability
I of their constituents to pay it.
Mr.. Shaw therefore moved to lndenniteiy
postpone the bill.
Mr.. Dickey opposed the motion to indef-
nitely postpone, and advocate MS measure
He believed no one would depy that the sala-
~ now paid to members of the legislature
was too small. He disclaimed any intention
of putting this measure forward for any poll
tical purposes; but he believed it was right
and lust. He compared the salaries to those
paid in other States.
| Mr.. Walton of Skowhegan said that this
legislature had doubled the appropriations of
former years, and the people were looking
upon US with jealous eyes; If we capped
the climax by increasing our own salaries,
then even his brother from Aroostook { Mr..
Dickey) would have fight to get back here.
(Langhter)
Mr. Looney thought the salaries too small
entirely. If we were to have body COM
posed of rich men, men interested IN large
corporations. then we had better abolish the
salaries entirely and have a body like the
House of Commons, which was composed OF
men of great wealth of large landed estates,
of high families. But if we were to have
body composed of poor men, of men OF the
people, aid that was what we ought TO have,
it was well known that the salary was too
small.
MIR. Pattangall was opposed to the increase.
II i - Of RI =
the salaries to get good men. for he recalled
such men as Fessenden, Morrill,, Frederick
Pike, James G.. Blaine, who had sat in this
body for the same salaries that gentlemen
now were receiving. And he asked the
gentlemen to look at the large number of
men who were anxious at every election to
obtain the place with its small salary. This
increase would throw a burden OF some Sl9,
900 more upon the people, and he could moi
vote for it.
Mr. O'Brien thought his friend from Port
land (Mr. Shaw was worth over $50 and
he hoped the motion to Indefinitely postpone
would not prevail.
Mr.. Pattangall call ed for the yeas and nays
and the House ordered them.
The motion to indefinitely postpone pre-
vailed by the following vote
YEA-Messrs. Adams. Alden, Alexander. Aver
Barker. Beal, Bennett. Bowker. Boynton, Bradish
Bradley, Brown, Burns, Carleton. Chase of Edge
comb Clark of Calais, Clark OF Caribou Condor Cook
Corson, Cushing Dawson, Doten. Dow. Eells. Engei
Farrar, Foster, Friend, Giindle, Hamilton of Cum
berand, Harding of Durham. Harding of Gorham
Harper, Hawkes. Hayden, Jersey, Hohson Hodg
kns Hunter. Jewett, Jones, Jordan. Judkins, Kings
bury, Libbey of Burnham, Libby of Mattawamkeag
Littetield of Prospect, LttlefeId of Rockland LON
bard, Lufkin, Maney. Marble, Mason, Moore OF Deer
ing, Morrill,, Nealley Newbert. Parcher. Pattangal
Powers, Pray, Purinton of Bowdon, Purnton OF
ROW0Oinham Raw. Rirker. Roberts of Brunswick
Sanborn of Island Falls. Scott. Sharp. Shaw. Silsby
Small, sturgs. varney. Walton. Warren Of If, Wins
low, " augh, Wentworth, Whitmore, Widber, Wiggin
Wiley, Wiswell, Whitman, Wright.-s6.
NAY-Messrs. Allen, Billings. Chase of Damaris
Gotta, Cloutier, Dickey, Field. Floyd Fegg. Clifford
Glover. Harrington. Head. HoTigan, Looney, Lyons
Moore of Gardiner. O. Brien, Noble. Palmer, PIERCE
Randall Reynolds, Roberts of Dexter, Russell
RYDER, Sanborn of Standsh, Seaman. Spinney
Sylvester Talbot. Wakefield, Weymouth, Wilson
ABSENT -Messrs Bishop, Bryant. Clark Of Ban
gor. Clark of Saco, Cults, Dorty. Ferguson,
keegan, Kidder. Knapp, Levensaler Mallett. Mars
ton. Packard. Poole, Richards, Ross, Sawyer
Smith. Tb9rlow, Vaughan. Warren OF Buxton
! House document pol, bill an act relating To
free text books in schools, came up under
special assignment, pending passage to be
engrossed.
Mr.. Waugh of Levant moved TO amend by
striking out the first section of the bill and
inserting the following: ''Section l. Sec.
of chap. IL, revised statutes, is hereby
amended by striking out the word may in
the first section, and inserting the word
shall and by striking ont all after the word
pupil in the third line of said section, aud
inserting the following: Or shall furnish the
same at cost. When towns furnish school
books to pupils at cost a sufficient number
shall be kept and place or places of sale be
provided at the expense of the towns, and all
money raised and appropriated for that pur-
pose shall be assessed like other moneys
Mr.. Dickey thought the amendment use
less, as it, would leave the law just as it
stands now,
Mr. Randall moved that the bill be indef-
nitely postponed.
Mr. Harrington thought this measure a
good one, well the measure to abolish
the district system, but we could not lPgislate
in advance of public opinion.
Mr.. Roberts of Brunswick said that his
town mad been benefited by the system OF free
books. but that was no reason for forcing it
down the throats of other towns
Mr.. Condor said that the Constitution re-
quired the legislature to compel towns to
make suitable provision for schools and teach
ers, and he did not see why the same would
not apply to school books.
Mr.. Gushing said it was well-known that
towns would not do any more than the
law obliged them to do, and therefore the ar
gument that we must not legislate in advance
of public sentiment was untenable. 1t was
necessary for the legislature to provide for
the people and anticipate their wants.
MIR. Pattangall was in favor of leaving this
matter to the Judgment of towns themselves.
He believed that they knew what they want
ed. For the legislature to say they did not
was to proceed on the theory advanced by
CARLYLE, when he said, in answer to the ques
ton as to the population OF Great Britain,
that there were twenty mine millions, most
ly FOOLS"
Mr.. Fogg thought this was entirely un.
necessary legislation and injurious. Every
body knew that these free books would not
be taken care of by the scholars, who would
not feel that childish pride in them that they
would if their parents bought them, and the
parents would not be as interested in looking
after them. This legislature had no right to
legislate to supply school children with rag.
ged and old books. any more than they had to
furnish them with worn out shoes and ragged
clothing.
Mr.. Talbot agreed with his friend from
Portland. In his opinion, section two of this
bill providing that the teachers and school
committee should provide for the preserv ion
of these books, would be a dead letter. He
hoped the motion to indefinitely postpone
would prevail.
Mr.. Hersey was in favor of this measure
personally. hut his commitments wepo un;t